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Post by ronaldo11 on Nov 28, 2005 14:34:26 GMT -6
Which team do you think will perform better in world cup 2006 and why?
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Post by manudown on Nov 28, 2005 18:36:24 GMT -6
Iran's chances are slim to none. With the level of talen exhibited by almost all the European teams that qualified, and the usual giants from South America, Iran will have to do something very special to advance. As for the USA, I think they will struggle and limp into the round of 16, then find some kind of form, with the recent rotation of the squad, I'm not sure they will mesh soon enough.
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Post by manudown on Nov 28, 2005 18:46:04 GMT -6
How about Trinidad and Tobago's chances after going to Bahrain and managing a 1-0 win there to go through? Also all the World Cup debutants from Africa, such as Ivory Coast?
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Post by coachray40 on Dec 1, 2005 23:12:12 GMT -6
T and T loses all three, US advances out of bracket, wins the first round in the knockout stages and then gets dumped yet again in a lackluster performance in the 1/4s against a traditional soccer power, all the while telling us of the fine efforts they put in, put the US on the Soccer map, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill
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Post by ronaldo11 on Dec 4, 2005 9:00:00 GMT -6
I think the fact that USA getting to the quarter finals last world cup will work against them for this world cup. Other teams will now respect the usa team more, and so i think it will be far more difficult for usa to get the results.
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Post by llodfloo on Feb 1, 2006 20:49:42 GMT -6
i think coachray needs to be more supportive of the nation he's living in.
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bignasty
All-District
THERE'S ONLY ONE UNITED
Posts: 229
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Post by bignasty on Feb 1, 2006 22:17:53 GMT -6
i don't think coachray is not supportive, i mean he's giving them a birth to the quarters which is more than most. he was just around in the bad times of US soccer. So it will naturally take him longer than someone younger coming up that has mainly witnessed success for the US to see that we are a power to be reckoned with. Minus World Cup 98, although that was before Bruce Arena. I really think he's a fantastic coach, and he will take this team to at least the quarters. After that it's up in the air. That is why the game is so interesting, anyone can win. (ex. Greece at Euro 04)
And yes, teams will respect the US more, but it is deserved respect. The US players all know everyone remembers them at World Cup 02, but they also know they could have done better, and they will go in with the intent of doing so. The players are doing well and hopefully we will go to the World Cup with our big guns healthy and in form.
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Post by usasoccerboy on Feb 4, 2006 1:40:43 GMT -6
As a USA MNT fan since before the woefull days of Ricky Davis and David Vanole screwing up qualification for WC Mexico 86, I have always said that the team has progressively gotten better every 4 years. In 86, with no professional team and a weak college system, USA could not qualify out of Concacaf. Mexico did not participate in qualification since they received the automatic berth. Canada, of all countries went instead.
In 90, we squeeked in after beating Trinidad and Tobago in T&T on Paul Caliguri's incredible goal. I still say it was the biggest goal in WC history for the USA. I believe it is more important that Gaetjean's goal in the 1950 WC to beat England. That goal allowed the USA program to get off the ground and get ready for the World Cup they were given for 94. Not having the USA in the mix in 90 would have dampered the success of the USA in 94, because others would have claimed the USA only got in 94 because it hosted the cup.
The 90 team was very weak in terms of depth, so much that all time USA leading scorer Eric Wynalda had to start against Czechoslovakia at the young age of 20 who got red carded and Tony Meola, a young 21 year old keeper. Team USA got embarrassed in a 5-1 loss. But they showed heart and fight in a 1-0 loss in Rome against the homeside Azzuri. Still, I must say, Desmond Armstrong, you suck!
The 94 team was so improved with guys like Balboa and Lalas who anchored a solid defense. Still, there was no midfield play and Wynalda and Stewart were still a few years from their prime as players. They each got important goals against Switzerland and Columbia that got the USA to the round of 16 where they would lose to the eventual world champions Brazil, 1-0. The team was improved over the 90 team in that they could defend properly at the international level.
The 98 team was a better team than the 94 team, but few people know this. In terms of depth, the USA team had more than ever with a full squad of players playing soccer in pro leagues. The 90 and 94 teams could not all make this claim for there was no MLS and the college game was all that was producing players. In 98, the USA had come around in the midfield department, so much that they used a crazy 3-6-1 system to make use of their talent at midfield. Still intact was the defense, but instead of going with Meola, the USA went with a brand new Keller and Friedel after things fell apart. The problem with that team was the finishing. The USA hit the woodwork 10 times and were unlucky to score only 1 goal, a Brian McBride header that barely squeaked in over the line. The talent was superior in 98 to the 94 team, but a poor system, and a controversial snubbing of John Harkes, led the players to not like coach Steve Sampson.
At that point, there was no denying Bruce Arena the job. Arena had won championships in college with Virginia where he coached and groomed Claudio Reyna, and then with the MLS winning DC United's first two seasons with flair. Arena was a winner whereever he went and now he took the job of finding talent in the burgeoning USA of new hotbeds of soccer talent and used power newcomers Llandon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasley and used them with solid vets to make a team that could not only hold teams to no goals, but they could also finish. The depth was superior to 98, but the USA had to get lucky after a devestating loss to Poland that people forget about because of the Solid win over a surprised Portugal, and tie a game with home side South Korea. Not only did the USA get lucky getting out after their Poland loss, but also got an easy 16 round opponent Mexico, who the USA had owned in their previous matches of the past 4 years.
This time, the depth is better than 98 with the USA not having to use a sucky Jeff Agoos and will have stellar goalkeeping and world class players in Beasley and McBride. Despite the good showing of 2002, the 98 finish still haunted the USA since if they scored 1 more goal in 98, the USA does not finish last, and gets a #1 seed. Instead, they get put into the hardest group. I see the USA being only able to get 4 or 5 points and could easily get as little as 1. And if they finish 2nd in the group, then they more than likely play Brazil, so for the USA to have any chance to advance to the quarters, they have to finish 1st in their group. I do not think the USA can get past Italy and Czechoslovakia in Europe as the USA has trouble beating european teams in Europe. If any coach can change that, Bruce Arena can. For the USA to do it, they are going to need a health Beasley, Donovan, Bocanegra, Keller, and other role players such as Onyuwe and Twellman, should he make the team. The team will be stronger in that guys like Mathis will not even make the team. So, we will have to wait and see what the USA team can do, but it will be very difficult to match what they did in Japorea. From the four cups they played in, they did poor in the first and third, and good in the second and fourth, so if this trend continues of one bad, one good, then the trend is not in our favor for 2006. I hope they win the group. That is my only real hope for a serious run. And I rarely see national teams of the USA do well for more than a few games at a time. For instance, the last U20 WC team did better than most other USA teams in that they won their group, even with the eventual winners Argentina in their group, and then lose to Italy after besting them in the first half. So, for the USA to win the group and not have a let down in the 16s would be something that the USA program has never done. And the USA has never won their group in a world cup, so that would be difficult to accomplish, especially with this tough group.
I just thank God that Arena is the coach, because I think he is the only coach I have seen for the USA that has ever been able to step up to the challenges and represent favorably to the rest of the world. The challenge is really hard this time. I hope we get a couple of breaks and take care of business. We shall see.
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